Crash attempt, knife attack on pilot and a 17,000 feet drop: How chaos unfolded midair on flydubai flight

A routine flydubai flight from Dubai to Israel turned into a life-and-death situation for 180 passengers on board after the plane transmitted two different emergency codes, including one associated with a possible hijacking, before making an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8, operating as flydubai Flight FZ1073 from Dubai International Airport to Ben Gurion Airport, was carrying around 180 passengers, most of them Israeli nationals. The aircraft eventually landed safely at Tabuk airport in northwestern Saudi Arabia.

Here’s how the chaos unfolded

Hijack alert triggers emergency

According to publicly available flight-tracking data, the aircraft initially transmitted squawk code 7700, the internationally recognised transponder code for a general emergency.

The situation escalated when the aircraft subsequently switched to 7500, a code used to indicate unlawful interference with an aircraft, including a possible hijacking.

The transmission triggered an immediate security response, with Israel reportedly scrambling fighter jets amid fears that a commercial aircraft carrying dozens of Israeli citizens could have been hijacked.

However, the transponder code by itself did not establish what was happening inside the aircraft.

Plane makes emergency landing in Saudi Arabia

As concerns mounted, the aircraft diverted from its planned route and landed at Tabuk airport in Saudi Arabia, which serves both civilian and military purposes.

Israeli authorities initially treated the incident as a potential aviation security threat. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had held consultations over the incident and was monitoring developments.

“Following concerns over an aviation incident, Prime Minister Netanyahu held consultations on the matter and is monitoring developments,” his office said, adding that the incident was under control and measures were being taken to ensure the safe return of the Israeli passengers.

Fight inside cockpit

The initial explanation that emerged from Israeli media was dramatically different from the fears triggered by the hijack code.

Citing security officials, The Jerusalem Post reported that the emergency landing followed a violent altercation between the two pilots. A regional official briefed on the incident also told The Associated Press that a fight had broken out in the cockpit and apparently involved the pilots.

The exact cause of the confrontation was not immediately clear.

According to reports cited by Israeli media, the hijack code may have been activated during the confrontation between the pilots.

Deliberate crash attempt and a knife attack

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir alleged that the attacker intended to crash the Tel Aviv-bound flydubai passenger plane, which was carrying around 180 Israelis, and kill everyone on board.

In a post on X, Ben Gvir said Israel had “done a wonderful job in the last two and a half years” but must continue its efforts until what he described as “total victory” in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, and Judea and Samaria.

The Times of Israel, citing passengers, reported that one pilot allegedly stabbed the other. Some passengers were said to have helped the crew subdue the alleged attacker.

One passenger, identified as Miriam, told Channel 15 that passengers heard shouting during the flight. She said that when the cockpit door was opened, there was blood inside and one of the pilots appeared to have been injured with a folding knife.

According to her account, passengers and crew members intervened and managed to stop the confrontation.

Another report alleged that one of the pilots had attempted to take control of the aircraft and crash it. That claim, however, remained part of the emerging reports surrounding the incident.

Miriam said passengers at one point feared they would not survive the flight.

Flight plunges 17,000 feet amid chaos

The flight also experienced a drastic change in altitude during the incident.

According to a CNN report, the aircraft descended from around 34,000 feet to approximately 16,600 feet, a drop of about 17,400 feet, in roughly two minutes at around 1:20 am Eastern Time.

The first emergency signal was reportedly transmitted at about 1:32 am ET.

The sudden descent, combined with the emergency codes, added to concerns that the aircraft could have been facing a serious security or technical emergency.

Israel responds with fighter jets, terror angle not ruled out

The emergency signals prompted Israel to respond as though the aircraft could have been under unlawful control. A second official told the AP that Israeli warplanes were scrambled because authorities feared a possible hijacking involving an aircraft carrying Israeli citizens.

The incident came amid heightened security concerns in Israel, with Netanyahu recently warning of unspecified and escalating threats.

While the initial assessment pointed towards a confrontation between the pilots, Israeli authorities later shifted their assessment and did not rule out a terrorism-related angle.

Reports said authorities were examining the circumstances surrounding the cockpit confrontation, the emergency codes and the alleged attempt by one pilot to take control of the aircraft.

However, the available reports did not establish that the incident was a terrorist attack.

Israel has not experienced an aircraft hijacking in decades and maintains extensive aviation security measures. Commercial air services between Israel and the UAE began after the two countries normalised relations in 2020.

What is known so far

The flight eventually landed safely in Tabuk, and reports said passengers were safe. What began as an alarming sequence of emergency signals and a dramatic loss of altitude was initially feared to be a hijacking.

Subsequent reports, however, pointed to a violent confrontation inside the cockpit involving the pilots. Allegations of a stabbing and an attempted takeover of the aircraft added to the confusion, while Israeli authorities continued examining whether there was any broader security or terrorism-related dimension.

The precise sequence of events inside the cockpit, including why the emergency codes were transmitted and what triggered the confrontation, remains subject to investigation.

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